Louisiana is the first state to require the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom after Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill into law Wednesday. Under the legislation, H.B. 71, a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in 'large, easily readable font' is required in all public classrooms, from kindergartens to state-funded universities. Over the weekend, Landry touted the bill at a fundraiser in Tennessee.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana said Wednesday that it will file a legal challenge to the law, saying it violates a long-standing U.S. Supreme Court precedent and the First Amendment. 'We are preparing a lawsuit to challenge H.B. 71. The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional,' the ACLU said in a joint statement with Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
Proponents of the law say the purpose of the measure is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance. In the law’s language, the Ten Commandments are described as 'foundational documents of our state and national government.
Other states like Texas and Oklahoma have proposed similar bills but haven't been able to pass them amid threats of legal battles over constitutionality issues. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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